says one of the pool, hail damage down on al jazeera ah, unprompted and uninterrupted discussions. from a london broadcast center on al jazeera ah passengers stranded on christmas plans thrown into chaos. thousands of flights cancel because of a crime virus pandemic. ah, hello, i'm mary. i'm to my v in london. you're watching al jazeera, also coming up on the program. a presidential pardon for a corrupt korean lead up paul, again, hey, to walk free from prison. leave furious, and i was accused bangladesh ferry authorities of negligence. for 5, it's left dozens of people. dad were trying to rewrite some of the astronomy votes

that exist right now might be 20 years late, but it's finally all systems go for the launch and the most powerful and that tree ever sentences bank. ah, welcome to the program, the top story, christmas travel plans again thrown into calles by the corona. virus pandemic. more than 3000 flights globally were canceled on friday because crew were either ill or had to isolate you to the virus. and then that number could grows more than 5000 by the end of the christmas weekend. at least 117 services were cancelled in australia, while several 100 was scrapped in the united states. gabriel elizondo is following developments at newark airport in new jersey. well, we have spoke to few of the passengers and some of them are taking it to stride. if

you will thing, listen. i've been one guy said, i've been vaccinated not once twice, but 3 times where a mask. and i'm going to try to get on my flight, go home and see my family. other people are definitely more worried about these cancellations. here at newark airport. we've seen long lines kind of been flows throughout the day. there's been a lot of delays, a few cancellations here and there, particularly in another terminal where there's a lot of united flights, where we're at. we have definitely seen the strain of this. it's not only the henri con variance that has now effect people on the ground, but affecting travelers, trying to get up in the air to go home on this holiday season. the biggest cancellation here in the us are with united and delta united, about 176 canceled flights today. and dealt with a little over $160.00 and they're already starting to cancel flights for the coming days as well. united actually sending out a message on, on,

on the phones toll affective travelers saying your flight has been canceled. and it's due to the surgeon cove. it cases that are affecting our staffing essentially pilots flight attendants ramp agents. just like everyone else to catch you on re con, very into very high rates, particularly here in the northeast of the u. s. they're calling in sick and that is primarily what's causing these problems here in the u. s. i will say here in newark airport, one of the longest lines other than the check in lines where would you guess at the cov, it test site? one floor above me in long lines there all day of travelers wanting to be tested? well, it has been further evidence on friday. the inequitable global distribution of the vaccines rich countries have received more lack scenes in the run up to christmas than african countries have got or yeah, and some report says that in a 6 week period the e u. the u. k and the u. s. received 513000000 doses. only 500000000 went to the

entire continent of africa. throughout the whole of 2021. few of the 9 percent of africans are fully vaccinated at the current rate of delivery. it's going to take until april 2023 to get every want to fast dose. g 7 countries will have 1400000000 surplus doses by march 2022. but they are failing to deliver on the nation pledges . none of that has slowed down the boost roll out in the u. k though and elsewhere as well. re challenge now report you might get side effects how to do that if they may be christmas, but the u. k. is vaccine boost a program rolls on without a pause. this is portsmouth on england, south coast and jobs are being given to people who slipped between the cracks. i'm not opposed with, i'm not laughing. i said we need to get the town vaccinated to be able to come get actual avenue homeless that particularly the homeless. they're very vulnerable at this time of year to co. they sleep rough and they definitely need to be protected

from some come by. despite christmas day, the 25th and boxing day, the 26th being holidays jobs are still being given. it's just this sort of public service that boris johnson thanked health workers and care as for and his christmas message. all those in the, in a chess where he over christmas, our co workers, everyone involved in the incredible vaccination campaign. those looking after people who have lost loved ones this year and who would otherwise be on the road. he said, been so many words, those getting vaccinated and boosted, but doing what jesus would have wanted getting jobs, not just for themselves for ourselves, but for friends and family and everyone. we meet that after all. is the teaching of jesus christ, whose birth is at the heart of this enormous festival. oh, across europe on a crone is rampant, but countries are responding differently. germans q outside shops to show their

health passes. nightclubs will be shot after christmas. and the major events will have attendance limits. spain has brought back mandatory mosque wearing outside now as well as inside. but the netherlands locked down is still something of an outlier, non essential shops, restaurants, hair, dresses, gyms, museums, and other public places the close until at least the middle of january. another christmas in the shadow of cove at 19 rory challenz al jazeera ah would attend to south korea now because the former president, parkin hay, has been serving a 22 year prison sentence for corruption has been pardoned in 2017, but became the country's 1st democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office lexia. bryan reports. park your knees removal from

office and erased in 2017 was a dramatic fall from grace that saw her go from south korea's president to prisoner . she's been serving a 22 year sentence for corruption that the government pardon will see her released on december 31st along with around 3000 others. how are you putting on your credit score? we have included former president park and he and former prime minister hung shook to the list to overcome unfortunate past history and cries of covered 19 about it realised peoples unity and provide a chance to take a new step forward to the future. park is currently in hospital and analysts believe that played a part in her imminent release. i think it's really heard dancing age and her health issues. she's had physical and mental health issues since impeachment i am, she's pretty clearly not going to have any kind of meaningful political role in korean life. she's allowed,

gomez appears going to happen. hawk was one seen as political royalty the daughter, former president, part young. he, she served as acting 1st lady after her mother was killed in 1974 joe young. so yes, i got one in 2013 patheon. hey, became the country's 1st female leader scoring a decisive victory for her conservative policy. but she suffered a shop drop and public support. after more than 300 people, mostly children ground when a fairy capsized in 2014 just 2 years later, another political scandal engulfed her administration after an old friend choice and so was alleged to have used her influence over the president to middle and state affairs. hundreds of thousands of people gathered every weekend to demand parks resignation. there was celebrations when she was impeached,

thrown out of office, and later jailed for collusion with joy to receive billions of dollars from major companies. the scandal also landed heads of 2 conglomerates and prison. what occurred in the blue house during her reign was unacceptable. ah, but there are corruption indeed. but um, overall i, i personally didn't feel that she was deeply involved into these, into the entire scheme and so on. she's been jailed, she's in poor health. i feel like the time is right to let her go and give her the pardon. at the moment of the pa, mom, i feel upset as a citizen. i feel that it's regrettable that such a decision was made all of a sudden when it would undo what was achieved through the candlelight vigils. almost all of south koreans, former presidents have been implicated and corruption scandals lame young back. the only living ex president aside from park is also in prison. he didn't receive a pardon alex there brian al jazeera. now at least 39 people died when

a fire up to a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers in bangladesh. but he said the blaze broke out in the engine room in the middle of the night and then quickly engulf entire but bonnet smith has the story. this overnight ferry was packed with up to 800 people heading out of docker for a weekend away with friends and family. many would have been sleeping in these crowded cabins as the fire took hold in the engine room. oh, the engine had been running for about an hour while on fire. later, the fire probably spread from the engine to the earl tanker and his tub with a loud bang at this spot where he is spending right now about that was not as flames whipped through the ferry. many passengers jumped into the river to escape, according to police. they believe the engine carried on running for an hour as the fire took hold. many survivors of suff, a terrible burn injuries and the death toll is expected to rise. i was

on the 2nd floor. suddenly the engine exploded and caught for it had be malfunctioning from earlier on. but the negligence of the ferry authority resulted in the fall. the ferry was coveting curtains, all the heat from the explosion was trapped inside and that he'd made everything. fern. dozens of bodies have been recovered so far, very accidents, a common in bangladesh, usually blamed on over crowding, and lacks enforcement of rules. fairies are a main means of transport and a country that's crisscrossed by more than a 130 rivers. the government to set up 2 committees to investigate the fire. they been ordered to report their findings. in 3 days, bernard smith, al jazeera, to 1000000 of our season, hong kong have removed sculptures built for victims of the channels and square massacre. cities, chinese university took down the goddess of democracy, calling it an unauthorized statue. link 9 university also removed a memorial dedicated to students, killed in 1989 in china. on thursday,

the university of hong kong remove the sculpture, the pillar of shame swell. a largest and most powerful telescope ever built as jew tippi blasted in space on saturday. it's about 20 years behind schedule. that hasn't dampened the excitement felt by scientists. a james web telescope could help us better understand stars and galaxies, that a 13000000000 years old, mani rappel has more now from the launch site in coral, french kiana. it's one of the most highly anticipated space missions in recent memory. after more than 2 decades of setbacks and delays, the james web space telescope is finally cleared for launch and expectations at the space center in french, vienna, or high. and i think i speak for everyone to say that we're, we're really excited to see it launch and i think everyone's done everything they can to make it a successful launch as well. web is the most powerful space telescope ever built

its mission to pier back 13500000000 years ago to the early stages of our universe . scientists say the potential for the new discoveries could up and everything we know about our place in the cosmos. we're really trying to look further back in time and, you know, examine how some of those 1st galaxies formed. we're, we're trying to rewrite some of the astronomy evokes that exist right now at the space museum in the city of crew. a new generation of astronomers anxiously await lift off and the excitement is just as high for aspiring scientists as it is for the grown ups who have been waiting for this moment. for years. we went to think they are the things you come acela's honey. i've been studying astronomy for 10 years. i'm very excited about this telescope. so many questions will be answered. thanks to it. i study excel planets, those planets that orbit stars, other than our son, and looking at their atmosphere,

we could find possible evidence of extra terrestrial life. the web space telescope represents a collaborative effort by more than a dozen countries and the work of thousands of scientists and engineers from all over the world. the faring sitting a top of that area and 5 rocket is housing. the james web space telescope and those rocket boosters that you see on the side of the spacecraft have been filled with some 480 metric tons of solid fuel propellant just enough to blast off and send us payload some one and a half 1000000 miles away from her with the rocket now sitting on its launch pad, fingers are crossed and collective breaths are being held for weather conditions to be optimal. on the day of launch, menu ended up hello al. jazeera crew, french kiana, watching out his era lie from london stand i had. i was out of a job, aid in a mongrel forest, just off the arabian sea, and i'll tell you how the lack of fresh water is killing species of mangroves.

their prices have exploded in sudan since limited cheese pal grab with no sign of an end to the political calles or it's in fact people ah, we've switched on the ne monsoon once again. hello everyone. so that steering some heavy rain into central and northern areas of vietnam, also getting striped with some rain for high man on saturday next to northern china, bitter cold. here we'll talk about that in just a sec. but 1st, the winter wall up toward the north west of ho cato. look at the winds associated with this is the type of conditions you're driving. and you have that wind swept snow, quite dangerous, in fact, and looking to pick up about 50 centimeters of snow. ok, we'll paint the colors on right now the dark or the purple,

the lower the temperature, beijing minus 4. but this is just going to be a quick shot of cold. by monday, you're back up to plus 5, which is actually above average. we may have some tropical trouble brewing for the top end of australia on saturday, whether it's a tropical disturbance or not. this is still going to cause a mass, a lot of rain and wind, and then we're sweating it out in the southwest perth at 43, very likely to set her record as so the darker the color, the higher the temperature here. so your christmas day record 42, we've got yes for 43 and i think okay, you'll do it again on sunday. the all time december temperature record is 44, and you're in for 45, quickly will and often new zealand. plenty of sun, but a few showers for given with a hive. 23 on saturday. enjoy sir. ah, i'm counting the cost beyond the tourism. the world richest man making a grab to control access to the trillion dollar space industry. odd. how's the new

call? why rich nations of emitted agriculture from climate change and how flaring cost lives in iraq? counting the cost on al jazeera ah, investigating the use and abuse of power across the globe on al jazeera. ah ah, ah. oh, come back. a look at the main stories now. more than 3000 flights have been cancelled around the world on christmas eve with allies blaming the omicron variant of the corona virus, of tanza, united in delta airline say the virus is taken a toll on their stuff. south career is pardon former president park in hey,

who's been serving a 22 year prison sentence for corruption in 2017 part became the country's 1st democratically elected leader to be thrown out of office. and at least 39 people died when a fire ripped through a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers in bangladesh. police the blaze broke out in the engine room in the middle of the night, and quickly and gulf the entire boat. or it's just on christmas day in bath lamb in the occupied west bank, the birth town of jesus christ. these are live pictures from midnight mass at the church of the nativity corona. a virus restrictions are putting a damper on no celebrations for a 2nd year now. but there were small crowds gathered in manger square which was filled mostly with local residence in the area. not because it's been a ban on all international travel by israel, including to the occupied palestinian territories. normally,

christmas is by the labs busiest tourist season and a key part of its economy. but there we have live pictures of people, residents and locals who have gathered to mark mass wrong. it's been a month since he danced. prime minister abdullah ham dog began trying to appoint a new cabinets after his reinstatement without success. now many ensued on our saying that they are the ones paying the price for the situation and the resulting political and economic chaos. and that vow reports from our tim is on used to own 3 vehicles for rental and public transportation. just a few years ago, he considered himself a successful entrepreneur, but not any more. we drove with a psalm and his last remaining vehicle, which is also planning to sell in order to meet his family's needs. a rather well

of her theory, the situations different. now you can no longer pay for the education of you. children can't buy food because a loaf of bread is now 40 pounds. if a family member fall sick, you can't pay for their treatment. people have drained their savings, likes become absolutely untenable. many sudanese share the same view, but the crisis is a direct result of political chaos and the lack of proper government. the absence of government in this country is not a figurative expression. it's rather little about because over 2 thirds of the cabinet ministers have not been appoint to so far, including those of interior defense. and our situation has been going on for nearly 2 months. there was been an explosion in prices soaring inflation and the huge rise in unemployment, leaving many people in a state of desperation. one of the few ministers remaining in his job after october's military takeover is jabrisa bry,

him head of the dar for arm justice and equality movement. he defends the lifting of subsidies and an immediate plunge into a deregulated, free market economy that subsidies for, for example, for full are of, for a wheat ah, for gas or for foot at a different commodities distorted their economy. i shall, it's a blanket for a subsidy. there each are getting the same as a poor. he believes more people will now be forced to find the job in the past. and at 1015 passes in. if i extended family, i rely on a single would of working person and that a person will try to feed them through his sad and then mega income. one salary. now practically cannot do that. and if you people, if they're not working,

then we're going to feed themselves. so they have to go and look for work. that's what i had trying to do. but this approach is not popular among the sudanese allowed us if invalid them. what's happening in the country is affecting the market and people's ability to buy and sell merchants raise prices as they wish. while the government has given them free rain, it doesn't seem to care. sudanese households are in a deep miss because of this policy in a mess to our basic services including sanitation and state cleaning. but in the heart of the sudanese capital passes by a peer as indifferent to what they see as the authorities. hum at fine, a da 0 cartoon. now people count me a better research border with poland. say they are staying put despite freezing temperatures. they're nearly a 1000 people are hoping to eventually make it into the you. the temperature is dropped below minus 10 degrees in recent days,

old and is refusing to let people in accusing a roost of planting them that germans frustrated with the government of raised millions of dollars for flood victims. many survivors of the devastating floods still haven't received any help from the state. the cold weather sets and volunteers sick of waiting, taking matters into their own hands. set lawson has worn out from the german town of r wheeler. 5 months ago to be a shot left his business as an event organizer to help victims of the lot. you want to insure those literally left in the cold after flood, damage their homes. didn't have to stay that way for too long. with his team of volunteers, he started to collect air conditioners, can be used as heaters as well. the temperature dropping below 0 and to ground floor destroyed. daniel coatings over has been camping in her bathroom. happen for you all we have is this room. we sleep here, we cook here. everything happens here. downstairs,

the situation has not changed since a night in july when she and her 3 children had to escape from the water. she has no insurance and the government's off off help us yet to be seen and help him if he doesn't talk of woman that dad days when you think things are going well and he's moving forward. but then something happens. and you have these days when you just fall apart than everything comes back and living in this construction site where freezing and it's always the valley in the western part of germany was hit by floods after days of torrential rains, almost 200 people were killed. was a virus of the floods, winter has not only brought darkness and cold, but it also as we find there to magic memories, while thousands of volunteers have held them to cope so far due to lack of government, so forth. many here feel 5 months on have been forgotten to be shot flames this on long and complicated government procedures. gill, i'm lang 5 people, so the government has a lot of bureaucracy,

so it takes too long to provide help quickly. we have an immediate help program from the government, but that takes too long to reach people. immediate help means that if someone calls us for heating, we have to install it the next day. we need to reassess disaster protocols in germany. more than 100000 fallen p s came to help they build a camp where hundreds of people receive meals have access to a laundry surface and got mental health support all paid for with donations. for now, we talk about round about 8000000 euro only. we get from what go. busy everywhere from germany, we have to say no from everywhere or something from switzerland, from netherlands from looks book. it's the power social media around $1000.00 heaters have now been install. oh sure. mentalist have learned again about humanity and solidarity and sticking together. so i have

a lot of hope that the pilot project in our town can be spread through germany, and that this spirit can be spread throughout the world. what i thought i now coatings hope it means winter will just be a little bit warmer. that fastened al jazeera in our town or at tens of thousands of people in pakistan have had to move inland as the water encroaches on the land and underground water. their warnings, the country could have 2000000 climate migrants by the year 2050 sullivan. java reports now from fata in southern pockets. dawn of 600000. hector forest is focused on natural defense against salt water intrusion and rising sea levels. this is that he generation nature, region nation, conservation to say the number of trees and forest cover in the industry were delta has increased in the last decade. the diversity and focus on mangrove is dying. most of the 17 major creeks from the river no longer provide fresh water. that

means no filled or new soil, a necessity for the carbon capturing roots of the mangrove plant. the climate vulnerable since problems are successfully rehabilitated, hundreds of hectic mangroves. but it's not enough. a lot about jo mcgrooves get better. previously we had 8 species of mangroves, but now we are left with just for species due to fresh waters not being available. 2 of the surviving species only made it because they adapted to sailing water. they gave the fresh water creeks which provided a fertile delta, are now sea water, creeks, dams, and excessive water use upstream leaves little water for the south just by laws, entreaties the river, agriculture is destroyed by sea water. parkinson's ranked among the whirl stopped in countries and a threat from climate change. the climate action net, but believes by his son could have around 2000000 climate migrants by 2050 in coastal communities. a 1000000 people are believed to be at risk from the decrease

in fresh water. people here have been telling us the thousands have left it and says 2 homes. due to a lack of water. and villages like this are slowly dying. the water encroaches drown water tables for hundreds of kilometers. people angry of the goblins, lack of solution. see, they can only pray for rain while i jo bonnie, on the water is a huge problem and our children have to walk 10 kilometers to get it because of this out of a 1000 homes, only 4 or 500 are left and families are scattered. all over the migration towards cities added pressure to bring water and lack of opportunities are causing social problems as well. women who work in the fields have children and run households are under tremendous pressure. young girls have to pitch and to help their mothers. we couldn't speak to their mothers as in this remote bond of park a son. we were not allowed to film the women. everything which can hold water is utilized here. but even that's not enough. why i want to go down the lane out of

there is no water in the whole village and we can't find drinking water anyway. i have to come and refill multiple times a day. if i take one container from to swill, maybe we have enough water to cook, but there isn't enough water to drink. these much skippers, unimed phoebe as fish who in their attempt to live on land, provide nature's filtration for the mangrove forest. they've adapted for generations to the changes around them. but unlike them, humans in towns like gayety, but they have had to move multiple times because of encouraging sea water. and in less drastic measures have taken to replenish that over delta. the floods and droughts will continue to cost the pockets on the economy an estimated bill $1000000000.00 a year. some a majority delta they are tucked up suddenly pocket. in part 2 of our series on pakistan's water challenges sullivan, java takes us to the himalayan mountains. when melting glassy is posed a risk for communities, you rely on them for water. you can see that from 0 to 100,

gmc on saturday. now nearly 100 days after the camry, vehicle volcano started spewing red hot lava, authorities of preparing to declare the option over it's been dormant for the past 9 days. and experts believe it's safe to label a volcano extinguished off the 10 days. it destroyed $3000.00 buildings on the palmer. ah, a quick look at the main stories this our noun, more than 3000 flights have been cancelled around the world on christmas eve with airlines blaming the omicron varying to the corona virus for this tanza united and delta airlines a. the virus has taken a toll on their staff.